MANILA — Until two decades and a half ago, or before the close of the past century, residents of the divided former town of Novaliches had to travel 10 to 20 kilometers and spend a sizeable length of time to transact business with the Social Security System (SSS) main office along East Ave. in Diliman, Quezon City.
Realizing the rapid population growth and economic progress taking place in Novaliches since the 1970s, the SSS has opened five branches in various sites in the former town. Three of these branches are in the Quezon City part of Novaliches while the two others in the Caloocan City section, also known as North Caloocan.
As a result, the Novaliches folk now just need to travel five to 10 kilometers at most and spend less time and fare to reach the SSS branch nearest to their residences or places of work or business.
The biggest among the three SSS branches in Novaliches, Quezon City is situated at the ground floor of Robinsons Place Novaliches on Quirino Highway in Barangay Pasong Putik Proper. The other two are located on Commonwealth Ave. in Barangay Greater Fairview and in Barangay Batasan Hills. These three branches are concentrated within a 10-kilometer distance from Quirino Highway to Commonwealth Ave. in Barangay Batasan Hills, site of the House of Representatives building.
The SSS branches situated in the Caloocan section of Novaliches are those at NC Jean Building in Celia Subdivision on Susano-Camarin Road in Barangay Deparo and at Bankers Village II on Quirino Highway leading to San Jose del Monte City, Norzagaray and Sta. Maria, Bulacan.
SSS-Robinsons Novaliches branch head Lydia C. Cereno told this writer in an interview that the opening of the five SSS branches in the Novaliches area is in accordance with the SSS policy of decentralization and bringing its social and economic services closer to the people.
She said the first SSS branch in Novaliches was opened in 1994 at the Alfred Building on Quirino Highway in Barangay Kaligayahan. It was transferred later to Robinsons Novaliches mall as the growing number of SSS clients could not be accommodated anymore at its old site.
The SSS branches receive applications for educational/policy/housing loans, sickness, maternity, death, disability, retirement, and Employees Compensation benefits, as well as issuance of SSS membership number and Unified Multipurpose Identification (UMID) card.
Cereno said there is another SSS branch on Congressional Avenue in Barangay Bahay Toro, but this is separate from those in the so-called Novaliches area.
The SSS branches in Novaliches cover the employers, employees, self-employed and voluntary members within the former town, now also known as Diocese of Novaliches which has jurisdiction over nearly half of Quezon City and more than half of Caloocan City.
Among the biggest business establishments in Novaliches today are SM City Fairview mall in Barangay Greater Lagro, Ayala Fairview Terraces mall and Robinsons Place Novaliches, both in Barangay Pasong Putik, and SM City Novaliches mall on Quirino Highway in Barangay San Bartolome.
There are also hundreds of banks, Save More and Pure Gold outlets, fastfood chains, Mercury Drug branches, National Book Stores and other commercial establishments in the area.
The biggest branch of the S&R membership shopping mall in Metro Manila is also near the junction of Commonwealth Ave. and Quirino Highway in Barangay Kaligayahan, Novaliches. (Severino Samonte/PNA)
